Travel Writing

The family and I will be traveling soon, so I’ve been searching the net for some good tips. You know, free food, cheap yet durable souvenirs, hidden pirate treasure…

I stumble onto GoNomad, and this article. The author accurately sums up the notion that to rely on the cell to capture each moment is to deny the mind the rapture of being carried off into memory by a scent, and cetera. My wife, Danielle, and I lament the robotlike state of humanity–glued to its cellphone–determined to miss everything by reducing life to a series of snaps. Is it not better to watch the fireworks than to browse the photos later?

The decision was made to document our travels, and maybe submit a story or two to this website, or that magazine. We’ll drink tea in a castle, sit in James Joyce’s chair, and maybe see some new lights. All the while, I’ll scribble in my journal.

Wish us luck. As always, thanks for stopping by. Read. Subscribe. Comment.

 

Liberal logic vs Reality, a battle for the ages

That’s a fair comparison. Guy sweeping the floor: CEO.  It’s practically the same job. What’s a CEO do anyway, besides run the whole business and keep shareholders aka owners happy? People who own businesses shouldn’t make money, they should just give it away.

Part of the issue with liberals is that they really don’t understand how the economy works. They think everyone should be making all this money when, in fact, not all jobs are the same. Case in point: Below, you’ll see the world’s preferred mode of education, the meme:

Someone took the time to research the salaries of all these CEOs but I wonder if they researched what a CEO does. For large corporations, a CEO is responsible for running the company according to the wishes of the people who own the business. Now, if a small business owner hired a general manager to carry out the business plan, would he then pay that GM the same as the person who performs the service or makes the product? No. Because there are levels of responsibility that far exceed the barista, the cashier, the fry maker, the delivery driver, etc. While those are vital spokes on the wheel, they are not the wheel. The CEO represents the whole bike.

We can debate the evils of corporate culture all we want. I’ll be the first to jump in and state that corporate greed is one of if not the largest factor causing the economic discord that plagues the nation today. Through unscrupulous marketing, corporate America has bred a fear-based culture of lack and want. I say, enough is enough…

What I’m trying to communicate here, with words laced together into coherent sentences and paragraphs, is this: Don’t go trusting someone’s “facts” simply because they are presented in an easy-to-read format. If you’re interested in a subject, study it. Learn both sides and form your opinion accordingly. Don’t just take someone’s word for it. Shit like the economy, equal pay, corporate responsibility–it’s too important to leave to the people with the agenda.

Have your own agenda and be your own advocate. Because if you think that anyone else is looking out for you, follow the advice of above meme: Think Again…

And then think some more. As long as the people are critically thinking about their government, their economy, their place in society, and what they’re being told, then they have a chance at a better life. Critical thinkers are a valuable commodity in an age when shutting off your mind and plugging into a false reality is so attractive to the masses. Our minds are the last line of defense against technological tyranny and economic obsolescence.

In order to earn more, there are two paths: educate yourself/add to your skill set and lead others to do the same. Instead of demanding more, make yourself more valuable. Lastly, if you can’t find someone to pay you what you’re worth, pay yourself; start a business. Become an entrepreneur and live the true American Dream!

As always, thanks for stopping by.

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Papal pay, pal or How to Make Money Doing What You Love

 

 

I’m pleased to share with you an article I wrote for Pennsylvania Meetings+Events Magazine, Spring 2016 Edition. PAM+E is a trade journal for the convention and meetings industry. I was wholly unaware of the publication–either in-print or online– until I found it in my 2016 Writer’s Market.

Flipping through the pages of WM like a good freelancer, I came across Meetings+Events Magazines, read their writers’ guidelines and thought, ‘hmmm, I wonder if they’d be interested in a piece about an AV vendor working during Pope Francis’ historic trip to the U.S.’ 

After reaching out to and getting the o.k. from a friend who works in said industry and who was scheduled to work the Papal visit, I sent a query email with my idea to the editor of M+E; he put me in touch with the editor of the Pennsylvania publication and she liked my pitch, too.

Long story short, the piece is now online and in soon-to-be-arriving-at-my-door print format. I took a chance pitching an article about something I knew very little of, with many moving parts, and it worked.

Not every pitched idea will pan out. However, it just goes to show that you never know and as a writer, it’s important to take risks. I have an idea for a cutting, in-depth profile on a local business that could have more than heads spinning.  Stay tuned…

Check out the link below and as always, thanks for stopping by.

Papal Visit to Philadelphia

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This Blog Gets the Pope Francis Stamp of Approval. “I like-a the Dabutcha’s Blog,” the pontiff exclaimed.

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